Several seconds later, Henry slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he saw Estelle, tears welled up in his eyes instantly.
He said weakly, “Auntie…”
Henry and Yohan were of the same age. They were both kind-hearted and endured many hardships since birth.
Upon hearing Henry’s feeble and raspy voice, Estelle felt a deep sadness.
She carefully held Henry in her arms, wiped the water off his face with her sleeve, and coaxed him in a gentle voice, “I’m here. Henry, don’t be afraid.”
Henry had been living in the welfare house for a while, and his hair grew longer.
Currently, Henry’s wet hair clung to his face as the water streamed down, dampening his ghostly pale cheeks. Estelle had just wiped his face dry, but now his tears mixed with the water.
He appeared much thinner than their last encounter, with deep dark circles under his eyes. He looked nothing like the cheerful and lively boy Estelle first met at the hospital’s gate.
His mother’s passing had taken away all his happiness, energy, and optimism.
As a mother, Estelle felt deep sympathy for Henry when she saw him in such a state.
Holding him tightly, she whispered, “Henry, let me help you change your clothes first, or you might catch a cold.”
Henry slowly turned his gaze from her to the nearby river. Suddenly, he buried his head into her arms like a frightened little ostrich, saying, “Auntie, I don’t want to see others. I don’t want to see them.”
Estelle quickly reassured him, “Okay, okay. Don’t cry. I’ll ask them to leave.”
It was only after hearing this that Henry began to calm down. He nodded pitifully while still in Estelle’s arms.
Estelle then winked at Rebecca as a signal.
With her eyes reddened, Rebecca held back her tears and swiftly took Ms. Kosslyn aside.
Knowing Henry’s emotional state, she requested Ms. Kosslyn prepare a private room for him.
Ms. Kosslyn agreed and promptly went back to the welfare house to make the arrangements.
Rebecca understood that Henry wished to be left undisturbed and preferred to be alone with Estelle, so she accompanied Ms. Kosslyn back.
Once they departed, Estelle tenderly stroked Henry’s head and inquired, “Henry, were you crying?”
With his head still nestled in her arms, Henry shook his head and spoke in a muffled voice, “No. Mom told me that boys should be strong and shouldn’t cry easily.”
“Sometimes, it’s okay for boys to cry,” Estelle said softly.
Hearing this, Henry slowly lifted his head from her arms and asked, “Really?”
“Really,” Estelle nodded and continued, “Life has both happy and sad moments. It’s natural to laugh when we’re happy and cry when we’re sad. Everyone has the right to express their feelings. Your mom wanted you to be strong because she didn’t want you to be sad because of her. But if you feel sad and want to cry, it’s okay, and she would understand.”
With Estelle’s comforting words, Henry started to feel a bit better. “My mom has left me forever. Auntie, I’m a child without a mother now.”
“Your Mom is watching you on another planet.”
“Another planet?”
“Yes, Earth is merely a tiny planet amidst the vast universe. Apart from Earth, there are numerous other planets, which we observe as stars during the night. Your Mom has departed from Earth and moved on to another planet.”
“Then… Which planet is she on?” Henry asked.
“She’s living on the biggest and brightest planet. I’ll show it to you tonight, okay?”
“Okay!” Henry’s eyes lit up. “Auntie, can I go to that planet to see Mom?”
“Yes, but not right now,” Estelle assured him. “Don’t worry. Technology is advancing quickly. Perhaps in the future, scientists will invent spaceships, and you might have the opportunity to visit her.”
With determination in his voice, Henry bit his lower lip and declared, “In the future, I will definitely pilot a spaceship to that planet and see my Mom.”
“Remember to take me with you when you go there.”
“Auntie, you want to go there with me?”
“Yes. My father is on that planet too. I miss him very much,” Estelle smiled at him.
Upon hearing this, the serious look in Henry’s eyes immediately softened. He gently patted the back of Estelle’s hand and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Auntie. When I go there, I’ll take you with me.”
Estelle smiled and said, “Okay. Thank you.”
“Auntie…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Can Mom see what I have done?”
“Of course. She has been watching you on that planet all the time. She knows what you eat every day, whether you are happy, whether you get along well with other children, and whether you study hard or not.”
Henry pouted and said, “Then… she must have known I jumped into the river. Auntie, did Mom ask you to save me?”
After hesitating for a second, Estelle nodded and said, “Yes, she knew you were in danger, so she asked me to come and save you.”
“Sorry to have given you so much trouble, Auntie,” Henry uttered with a guilty look and lowered his head. “I’m so sad. I miss Mom every day and want to see her very much. But I know she won’t come back to me anymore.”
Estelle held him more tightly and kissed his forehead gently. “Henry, your Mom doesn’t want to leave you, but she had no choice. As I said just now, she will also be sad when she sees you sad for her. Therefore, to not make her sad or worried about you, you should be happy and live well. She will be waiting for you on another planet.”
“Auntie, I’m a little sleepy…” Lying in Estelle’s arms, Henry felt a sense of security and let his guard down.
He had been physically and mentally exhausted these days. Now he was finally relieved and suddenly felt sleepy.
Estelle patted his back gently and said, “Get some sleep. I will be with you.”
Henry closed his eyes and soon fell asleep. His cold body gradually became warmer, and his breath became even.
“Sometimes telling a white lie is the best way of dealing with things.” A familiar voice came from above Estelle’s head all of a sudden.
Estelle then immediately raised her head and saw Mr. Mysterious.
Mr. Mysterious stood behind her, thoughtfully shielding her from the wind with his tall and strong body.
Seeing him all in black, Estelle thought, ‘You seem to like wearing black clothes very much these days, Mr. Mysterious.’
“Sir, when did you come here?”
“I’ve been here for a while,” Mr. Mysterious said, bending down. “Let me hold him for a while. You can take a rest.”
Estelle’s arms had become sore and numb, but she hesitated to move, fearing it might disturb Henry’s peaceful sleep.